Be a part of the Tech Field Day excitement at Cisco Live US 2023! Tune in for presentations from Opengear, Backbox, and Cisco June 6-7. Read on for more details and a full event schedule.

Dell Tech World was the talk of the industry last week. In part it’s because Dell is rolling out initiatvies to try and address their key areas as those technologies move closer to the cloud. Dell APEX storage for public cloud was a key piece. APEX is a software defined storage platform for AWS and Azure that integrates with existing tools to create a hybrid multicloud experience. Also of note was Dell NativeEdge, a software platform that can help manage deployment of applications and devices at the edge of the enterprise. Also announced along with NativeEdge is Project Fort Zero, Dell’s implementation of zero trust network architecture (ZTNA). The last big announcement was a partnership with Nvidia to provide the Project Helix platform to run Nvida generative AI. Helix sees Nvidia H100 GPUs running in PowerEdge servers.

Raymond Hendrix is the owner of Wi-Fi Wise International and one of our newest Field Day delegates. He started in IT after obtaining a degree in economics with a focus on databases. Raymond served in the Dutch military, where he gained expertise in electronic warfare and expanded his IT knowledge through training. His interest in RF and antennas stemmed from his experience operating a powerful jamming vehicle. Raymond’s favorite aspect of his work is making Wi-Fi solutions seamlessly function for customers. However, a significant challenge he faces, along with other Wi-Fi engineers, is obtaining clear communication from clients. Raymond acknowledges that effective communication skills are crucial in his field, even though IT professionals tend to be more focused on technical aspects. Attending Mobility Field Day, Raymond looks forward to exploring the latest advancements in the industry, assessing their practicality and real-world use cases. When asked about an alternative career, he expresses an interest in forestry work and even reveals a talent for axe throwing. You can see more of Raymond and Mobility Field Day 9 on the Tech Field Day website or YouTube channel.

Kerry Kulp, a founding member of Velaspan, is one of our new delegates for Mobility Field Day 9. Speaking with Tom Hollingsworth, Kerry discusses his various roles in the company, including business leadership, business development, and consulting. He shares his journey into the IT industry, starting with computer training while studying criminal justice and sociology in college. Kerry reminisces about his early days in the wireless and mobility industry and the advancements that have taken place since then. He expresses excitement about attending the event, particularly to hear presentations from the companies on products he is both familiar and unfamiliar with in his day-to-day work. Kerry also talks about the challenges faced at Velaspan, such as searching for the right people with the depth of knowledge in wireless, networking, and security. When asked about his dream job, Kerry jokingly mentions cutting grass but expresses a continued interest in technology, particularly in the field of cybersecurity. Thanks Kerry for being a part of Mobility Field Day 9! Head to the Tech Field Day website and search for Mobility Field Day 9 to find more information on the event.

The industry is excited to implement Wi-Fi 6E with all the new devices coming out. Even with regulatory challenges the world is ready for faster connectivity and more reliable signal. But those same regulatory challenges are just part of the myriad of issues. Standards bodies, marketing teams, and even users themselves are asking why it’s taking so long to implement Wi-Fi 6E even after it has been brought to market faster than any Wi-Fi standard in the past. Is that because we gave up too many things to get it here? In this episode, Tom Hollingsworth talks to Sam Clements, Avril Salter, and Mario Gingras to find out whether Wi-Fi 6E got here so fast because we left so much of it behind.

Join us live May 17-19 in Silicon Valley for Mobility Field Day 9! Hear presentations from Juniper, Fortinet, Cisco, NetAlly, Ruckus Networks, Arista, and Celona.

Aruba Atmosphere was the talk of the town and we’re here to cover the exciting announcements from the event. There was a lot of discussion about the integration of Aruba, now known as HPE Aruba Networking, into the wider HPE company portfolio. The wireless fans had lots to cheer about with a new update to Aruba Central that offers better visibility as well as integration with HPE GreenLake. Security experts loved seeing how the acquisition of Axis Security is providing new edge security capabilities. Of course, the Athonet acquisition to extend Private 5G capabilities was also on the tip of everyone’s tongue. This and more on the Rundown.

Tom Hollingsworth looks at Venter’s lineup of antennas and enclosures to help Aruba customers solve some unique wireless and networking challenges.

Thanks to Gina Rosenthal for sharing a wonderful article from Wired about the details behind the SolarWinds Orion supply chain hack that we covered back at the end of 2020. You may recall that SolarWinds was compromised by Russian hackers and their software was infected and used to breach the US government as well as Microsoft, Mandiant, and more. In this article we’re learning even more interesting information, such as the source of the attacks from the Russian SVR which is their version of the CIA, to the fact that the US DOJ detected signs of the attack just a couple of months after the infiltration and didn’t pick up on the possibility of it being a larger issue. The whole article is a fascinating read but what strikes me is that we’re now 2.5 years past this earth shattering situation and we still don’t know for certain if we could be impacted by it again. This and more on this week’s Rundown.

Private 5G is coming to the enterprise near you. Deploying this hot new wireless and mobility technology is a great way to overcome challenges with Wi-Fi and allow IoT devices to be provisioned quickly in remote locations. But with new technologies come new complexity. Can Wi-Fi engineers figure out how to make these two solutions co-exist? And does the complexity of 5G radio technology mean we have to choose between one or the other? In this episode, Avril Salter, Troy Martin, and Keith Parsons discuss the complexity of Private 5G and whether or not it can be simplified for the enterprise.